Undergraduate Studies

Awards

tulips outside of ten Hoor HallThe Department of Philosophy presents three awards each spring:

All award applications/papers may be submitted to Lesley Perkins, Administrative Secretary, via email (lpperkins@ua.edu) or in person (336 tenHoor), by the deadline. The deadline for 2023-2024 awards is Monday, January 24, 2024 at noon. Email and hard copy submissions are both accepted. 

The Marten and Marie ten Hoor Award

The Marten and Marie ten Hoor Award is named for a distinguished former professor in the department and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and for his wife. It is awarded each Honors Day to the winner of an essay contest. Submitted essays may be on any topic in philosophy and may be of any length. They must be double-spaced and submitted to the department secretary. Only one paper may be submitted by each entrant, and anyone submitting a paper who is eligible will automatically be considered for the Iredell Jenkins Endowed Memorial Award.

The ten Hoor Award includes a cash award and the winner’s name is inscribed on a permanent plaque displayed outside the departmental office.

The Iredell Jenkins Endowed Memorial Award

The Iredell Jenkins Endowed Memorial Award is named after the much loved Iredell Jenkins, who chaired our department and graced the University for more than thirty years. It is awarded each Honors Day to the department’s single most outstanding student of philosophy. Those who wish to be considered for the award are urged to apply by submitting one or more (maximum of three) philosophical essays, of any length and on any topic, double-spaced. Students submitting an essay must provide it to the departmental secretary in 336 ten Hoor Hall by the deadline.

The Jenkins Award includes a substantial cash award, and the winner’s name is inscribed on a permanent plaque displayed outside the departmental office.

The Norvin Richards Award

The Norvin Richards Award is given in honor of Professor Richards’s long and distinguished career as a member of the department’s faculty. It is awarded each spring to the best student majoring in philosophy and intending a career in the law. It is made on the basis of performance in one or more of the courses making up the department’s jurisprudence specialization.

The Richards Award includes a substantial cash award, and the winner’s name is inscribed on a permanent plaque displayed outside the departmental office.